|
Hertfordshire Postcard Artists, Photographers, Publishers, etc. George Avery (1839-1911) of Hitchin (1864-1870) & Kent |
George was born in Tenterden, Kent, on 10 Feb 1839 to Thomas & Mary Ann (Waters) Avery. Georges’ father, Thomas, was a Wine & Spirit Merchant born in Rolvenden but who lived in Tenterden all of his life.
|
In 1861 George was a lodger in Hastings St Michael, Sussex working as a Carpenter & Joiner. At the end of 1863 he acquired the business of Samuel Debenham in Hitchin, but had clearly been taking photographs in Tonbridge before this date, as this photograph proves. |
 |
Tonbridge Old School Buildings Demolished 1864 Photograph by George Avery
|
Hertfordshire Express 12th December 1863
 |
 |
|
|
Hertfordshire Express 2nd January 1864 |
Hertfordshire Express 23rd April 1864 (repeated) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hertfordshire Express 10th December 1864 |
Hertfordshire Express 10th June 1865 |
|
|
Lady sitting in chair Negative No 767
Suggested date 1864, unless this is a reprint of a Debenham negative.
|
|
||
 |
Man sitting in chair Negative No 1119 Name is on label stuck on back of card.
Suggested data 1864 unless reprint of Debenham photograph, with label to cover back.
|
 |
||
|
Rev John Henry Howlett 1779-1867: Died in Kent Could this have been taken before George moved to Hitchin? |
|
Negative No. 2026 Bottom of card cut off (did it contain details of another photographer?) and address written in ovals with number added later.
[Image enhanced as hand writing very faint in places] Another copy, with same back, advertised on ebay. |
|
|
 |
It is possible to date these pictures of the Maynard family of Cottered, taken by George Avery of Hitchin.
ß James Maynard Plate No. 2090 - identical back to example below. It is some 2000 plates earlier than ...
Maria Maynard à Plate No. 4072 - back as unnumbered miniature below Must have been taken before Summer 1865 - when Maria died. |
 |
|
Plate No 3733 (suggests date circa 1864) |
Plate No: 4735 Another picture, apparently of the same lady some 5-10 years later taken by Thomas Latchmore of Hitchin Plate No 9164 |
|
 |
Another miniature - no negative number similar back but with last 2 lines moved to bottom and reading: Copies may always be had by sending name and number Also full sized CDV image seen with Number 1927 |
 |
 |
Minature (for locket) mounted on CDV card. Above back in blue |
||
|
Note that these two pictures use same background and table - no negative numbers |
||||
| Logo small on back in black | Logo small on back in blue | |||
|
View of Hitchin by Avery à In April and May 1869 the following advert appeared in the Maidstone Telegraph: WANTED, A House with small shop, situate in High-street or Week-street, Maidstone, and suitable for carrying on a first-class photographic business. - Address G. Avery, Photographer, Hitchin. |
 |
|
|
Hertfordshire Express 10th October 1869
Hertfordshire Express 5th March 1870 |
||
|
In 1870 he sold the Hitchin business to Thomas Benwell Latchmore. On 23 March, 1870, he married Lucy Jane Bentley in St James Church, Islington, Middlesex. Lucy was born Hitchin at 1850, the daughter of Henry Bentley, cabinet Maker of Brand Street Hitchin. George gave his occupation as Photographer. At the time of the 1871 census he was working as a photographer in Tonbridge, Kent. He also exhibited a number of photographs in the Sixteenth Annual Exhibition of the Photographic Society of London (1871) including an Interior of the chapel, Tunbridge School (2 hour exposure on wet plate.)
|
|
|
 |
Photograph taken by George Avery of Tonbridge in 1876 showing the family of the Rev. Theophilus Barton Rowe, headmaster of Tonbridge School [greatly reduced image of ebay advert] ================== Pre-1877 business card for George Avery of Tonbridge Reverse of cabinet card giving his address as 10, The Terrace, Tonbridge. |
|
|
At the time of the 1881 census he was a photographer in Hadlow, Kent. In 1891 and 1901 censuses he is recorded as a retired photographer living in Tenterden. George's death was registered at Tenterden early in 1911, and Lucy was a widow, living at Tenterden, at the time of the 1911 census. Jan has provided some interesting family information (including a correction relating to George's parents) which has been added above, and also the following related to George & Lucy's death. Probate: Avery, George of Tenterden Kent died 10 February 1911 Probate London 23 March to Richard Avery wine merchant and Alfred Henry electrical engineer Effects £5364 17s 3d Note: Richard is his brother and Alfred Henry is his son Burial: Unitarian Old Meeting House, Tenterden Inscription on stone: (This from the Kent Monumental Inscriptions website - Kent Historical Society)
George Avery Here is a link to the Find a Grave Website – where you will see more about George and his family I am the “1414Jan” who took the photos and created these http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=142105205&ref=acom |
||
|
[permanent link www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/links/avery.htm ]